I wish I may, I wish I might ...

By Caddie Brain and Kim Eun-jung
Publisher:The Korea Herald - Publication Date: 19-02-2008

In the forecourt of Insadong's Ssamziegil Handicraft Complex, past the miniature kimchi-shaped earrings and painted butterflies stand six trees with many secrets.

Tied to their vein-like branches are hundreds of brightly coloured pieces of paper scrawled with the hopes and wishes of many Seoulites. These skeletal trees indeed have the weight of the world on their branches.

The wishing trees, or Sowon Namu, have been erected at Ssamziegil every year since 2004 during January and February. Pens and paper are supplied for passers-by, who can surrender their dreams and ambitions to the wish trees.

"At the start of the year, people have lots of thoughts, reflecting about how they did last year, and make new wishes and new determinations," said Kim Jae-youn of the Ssamziegil complex.

Most Koreans wish for the long-lasting health and happiness of family members and continued friendship. One group writes that their wish is to "remain friends until we are really old grandmothers who can't stand straight anymore".

Many wish for good results in their exams and acceptance into the university of their choice. Others hope for a change in fortune for their loved ones. "I wish my brother and sister would work a bit harder," hopes one student.

For couples, the wishing tree oozes with eternal love. "I wish for us to love as we have always loved," write some young lovers. Others appear not to have been so lucky. "For now, it really hurts," admits one young Seoulite. "But I believe things will get better and I'm waiting with the hope of seeing you again. I love you."

It is not all love and study for some young Koreans. "I wish for a kitten," writes one young Seoulite. Others are more practical, hoping for a new cell phone. Another simply states that, "I would like my salary to arrive on time."

But does the wish tree work? "I truly hope so," says Kim, the Ssamziegil official. "After hanging their own wishes many of them take pictures to keep it in their mind and heart. Maybe this will help them remind about it and give them magic to make it true."

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